Court to hear bail plea of ex-DU lecturer SAR Gilani tomorrow

March 17: A Delhi court will hear tomorrow the arguments on the bail application moved by former DU lecturer SAR Gilani, arrested under sedition charges in connection with a Press Club event here.

Additional Sessions Judge Amit Bansal posted the matter for tomorrow after noting that the judge concerned was on leave today.

Gilani, who is in judicial custody, had yesterday moved a fresh bail application before the the Patiala House Courts registry and was listed for today before Additional Sessions Judge Deepak Garg, who was absent.

Earlier on February 19, a magisterial court had dismissed the bail plea of Gilani, who was arrested on February 16, after the police alleged that “hatred” was being generated against the government.

Police had earlier told the court that an event was held on February 10 in which banners were placed showing Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhat as martyrs.

It had also said the hall in the club was booked by Gilani through one Ali Javed by using his credit card and another person Mudassar was also involved.

At the Press Club event, a group had allegedly shouted slogans hailing Afzal Guru, following which the police had lodged a case under sections 124A (sedition), 120B(criminal conspiracy) and 149 (unlawful assembly) of the IPC against Gilani and other unnamed persons.

The police had claimed to have registered the FIR taking suo motu cognisance of media clips of the incident.

Following registration of the FIR, the police questioned DU professor Ali Javed, a Press Club member who had booked the hall for the event, for two days.

Gilani was arrested in connection with the 2001 Parliament attack case but was acquitted for “need of evidence” by Delhi High Court in October 2003, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court in August 2005.